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22 February 2019

Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.

Kendrick Lamar Might Never Be Beaten
Last month a Butterfly flapped its wings and we're still reeling
at its effects. The To Pimp A Butterfly Effect is real, folks.
Scores of 8 or 9 have been rendered measly and inconsequential with
overall ratings only in the 8s seeming as weak as when you punch
someone in a dream. One day we might see an album that can
challenge Kendrick's latest, or we might not. Either way, it'll
take a long time until the ADM climate feels like it's back to
normal.See all the reviews here

Right Place, Wrong Time For
Sufjan
Sufjan Stevens cemented his place at number 6 in our All-Time
Chart this week. His impressive haul consists of nine 10s, fourteen
9s, eighteen 8s and a one poor little 6. It's also the only album
in the All-Time Top 10 that didn't top the Current Chart. It's just
bad timing for poor Sufjan. Like being good at basketball at the
same time as Michael Jordan. Or good at golf at the same time as
Tiger Woods. Or good at Formula 1 at the same time as Michael
Schumacher. Or goodat snooker at the same time as
some famous snooker guy. That's not a thing, there's no famous
snooker guys. Snooker is pointless.See all the reviews
here

Disappointment For
Tyler
One good review does not a good rating make. Does that actually
make sense, why are you allowed to talk like that? It's like
rearranging the words of "one good review does not make a good
rating" a little bit makes it sound more important. Just scrambling
the words about does not wise make it sound. That's directed at
you, Yoda. Reading this you are I know. Anyway, Tyler, The Creator
got an 8 from the NME and it looked like he'd follow in the path of
critical praise his pal Earl Sweatshirt set out on, but then he got
a few stinkers and he sits on a 5.9 overall rating. Creator the
disappointed will be Tyler, probably.See all the reviews here

Bop English Surprises
Everyone
Here we are in ADM towers, patiently filing the last minute Friday
reviews and quietly pondering the week that was. When all of a
sudden, like an RKO outta nowhere, in smashes Bop English. Snap: a
10 from The Guardian. Crackle: a 10 from The Independent. Bop: some
8s. James Petralli from White Denim's first solo album may have
arrived late, but it certainly made an impact, now sitting 3rd in
the Current Chart a nip ahead of Courtney Barnett.See all the reviews
here

5
Brian Wilson Has Probably Lost
ItGod only knows how Brian Wilson feels
at--OK. Let's not bother with those, right? It's too easy, and at
this point it's just making fun of an old man. Brian Wilson's 11th
solo album got a good rating in Uncut but has been slated pretty
much everywhere else. And not just slated in the usual "this record
is not very good" way, but slated with an air of strange sadness.
Everyone reckons he's lost it in his old age. That's a shame, but
people have made bad albums and not been old, right? Maybe he's got
one more classic in him? If he did, wouldn't it be nice. OK, I
couldn't help it. Nothing's too cheap here.See all the reviews
here